Almost fourteen years after the release of the first Avatar film in theaters (December 16, 2009), the world imagined by James Cameron perseveres to establish itself ever stronger in pop culture. The feature film, long adored for its computer-generated images ahead of their time, took more than ten years before making its big comeback in theaters. In 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water was a great success with $2.3 billion in box office revenue, driven by the curiosity of spectators eager to find Pandora and the Na'vi.
While the cinematic experience was less striking the second time around - probably due to a lack of surprise - this does not prevent the franchise from continuing its development. With three feature films in the works over the next eight years (Avatar 5 is slated for 2031), it was only a matter of time before a video game studio got a hold of the phenomenon. Even before the second installment hit theaters, Ubisoft revealed Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, an ambitious adaptation of the films for PC and consoles.
With the daunting task of paying homage to the visuals of the films while offering gameplay worthy of the themes addressed by the franchise, many players thought this project was impossible, including us. However, it seems that Eywa has welcomed Ubisoft with open arms, because Pandora's magic is working. Without being revolutionary, the journey that the studio offers will certainly delight fans of James Cameron's universe.
Discover Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on PS5
Discover Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on Xbox
Becoming a Na'vi
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora stands out as an initiatory video game journey. For the most complete immersion, the title puts players in the shoes of a Na'vi who must learn everything. In the manner of Hogwarts Legacy and its student revealed as a wizard five years too late, the protagonist of Avatar finds his or her people as a teenager after growing up with humans. The player is then invited to make this hero in his or her image. Kidnapped during their childhood to be transformed into native soldiers of Pandora, the group of young Na’vis is freed following Jake Sully’s actions against the RDA.
From its introduction, the title makes the effort to link its storyline to that of the films. These gameplay sequences orchestrated in a human base also serve to provide a better understanding of the character that we embody. The Na'vi are much larger than humans and must crouch to pass through most doors. However, their impressive mobility allows them to adapt to any type of situation. The tone is set: Frontiers of Pandora is not an FPS like the others, it is a real Na'vi simulator.
This dive into the universe of Avatar through gameplay is reinforced by the construction of the world. Faithful to the impressive world building of James Cameron's films, the Ubisoft production places the player at the heart of this fictional but yet so realistic culture. As the player character takes his first steps on Pandora, he meets his first native peers and discovers their homes, customs and practices.
Hunting, cooking and other crafting techniques are then added to the experience for an exploration and survival gameplay perfectly adapted to the universe of Avatar. Nothing original however: it is once again a question of skill trees and other recipes to unlock. Certain rites of passage such as the encounter with one's own Ikran, famous flying mount of the Na'vi, however allow to reinforce the immersion. However, experiencing these iconic moments from the films is not enough to be flawless, and the game suffers from some shortcomings in certain aspects of its structure.
Avatar Ubisoft style
Despite the desire to create an experience Avatar as personal as it is faithful to the work it is inspired by, Frontiers of Pandora remains above all a Ubisoft production. It has been many years now that the studio has accustomed us to open worlds that are in every way similar, and this new title is no exception to the rule. Once is no longer customary, the redundant mechanics of these adventures make their big comeback to try to fill the vast world that is offered to players.
Exploration is then based on areas of interest to discover, allowing you to obtain new skill points as well as quick teleports. Destroy a refinery here, put an end to the poaching of the RDA there: if the first encounters with these events seem almost organic, their repetition ends up harming the charm of immersion. Pandora is supposed to be a living world in constant evolution in a context of war, but the entire map of the game seems to be governed by the same rules. The worst feeling, however, remains the discovery of a cosmetics shop in the pause menu, in order to integrate the microtransactions that Ubisoft cannot do without, even here.
However, the title makes the effort to offer an original scenario and open gameplay, a direction in total opposition to the old model of film adaptations into games. You only have to compare Frontiers of Pandora with the first attempt to adapt Avatar on console in 2009, also developed by Ubisoft, to realize the efforts deployed today.
Despite this omnipresent Ubisoft DNA - sometimes too much -, this adventure still manages to shine thanks to the care applied to the development of the Na'vi experience. Jumping from branch to branch, flying on the back of an Ikran and hurtling down floating islands brings sensations that are almost reminiscent of those of Mirror's Edge. Better still, sliding and other mobility elements specific to the Na'vi also apply in combat for atypical confrontations for an FPS. Add to that a cross-platform cooperation mode to experience the adventure as a pair, and the originality of the title is enough to effectively contribute to the renewal of a recipe seen and reviewed. Players can also count on the world being loaded with details to overlook the few flaws in Ubisoft's sometimes overly academic structure.
Bringing Pandora to Life
James Cameron has not only managed to captivate viewers with his stunning computer-generated images. The beauty and magic of the world presented on screen also contribute to the magic of the now cult franchise. Pandora is an almost mystical planet, populated by fauna and flora like never before. All these living beings imagined for the occasion reinforce the impression that the world of Avatar is very real, hidden somewhere beyond the stars. Frontiers of Pandora's main mission was to honor this imagination, a task that the game successfully achieves.
Give credit where credit is due: Ubisoft has just produced one of the most beautiful games in its history, It’s a fact. The green plains are full of plants of all kinds, the trees are present by the thousands and allow you to climb to new heights, while the floating islands visible from all distances make you want to explore the skies. Pandora is truly resplendent. But more surprising still, the world takes on a whole other dimension at night, when the bioluminescent ecosystem wakes up. The first nighttime passage will leave a lasting impression on players as the visual spectacle is so memorable.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora truly draws on the hardware of PC and next-gen consoles. Ubisoft proves that it can do great things by leaving behind the PS4 and other Xbox Ones. Be careful, however, on the PC side where some optimization issues still remain. During our first gaming sessions, many crashes occurred one after the other to the detriment of the pleasure of playing. However, a few updates have already been applied, while new drivers for graphics cards have also been able to correct these few technical issues. It remains to be seen whether the PC experience at launch will live up to the console versions, which are certainly more stable.
As part of our test, we were also able to test the features of the DualSense controller on the PC version of the title. If you have this accessory, know that it will significantly improve your gaming experience on this platform in addition to the PS5. All features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are supported and allow you to feel Pandora in the palm of your hand. Ubisoft has gone so far as to represent the slightest movement of the plants in the vibrations for a sensory experience rarely seen before.
Pricing and availability
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will be officially available from Thursday, December 7, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC. This one is sold at the recommended price of €79.99 in its basic version, or €109.99 for a Gold edition including the upcoming Season Pass.
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